This very enjoyable episode of the series gives us even more insight into the character of Dexter, showing us more scenes from his past. Michael C. Hall is as engaging as ever, and the rest of the cast is equally fun to watch. The ice cream truck killer is still at large and has left their latest victim propped up in the net at a hockey arena. After looking at the security camera footage, the cops think that they've got their man but Debra isn't convinced. One of her old acquaintances from her days of working vice offers a lead, which she aggressively pursues. Meanwhile, poor Rita has to deal with the mess left by her ex-husband and has her car taken away by a criminal associate as payment for an old deal. Doakes is set up by his fellow officers to take a fall. And Dexter moves on to his latest target, a kid who'd killed years ago and is now out on probation. What happens when Dexter finds out the truth about the kid is just one nifty moment in 'Popping Cherry'. We see a flashback with Dexter and Debra interacting with foster father Harry who believes that he's uncovered a human monster, a person who would make the ideal first human victim for Dexter. It's nice to see guest star Denise Crosby in this chilling role. Dexter, naturally, is a little sloppy at the beginning of his murder spree, so it's cool and interesting to see some of his humble beginnings. There's not that much overt violence in this episode, which may disappoint some viewers; it's all about developing the characters and the story here. There is some raunchy humour, as Detective Batista and Masuka explain the aspect of sex "bronco" style. All in all, things move along very well here.
